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FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A COVID-19 patient walked out of the hospital while surrounded by doctors and nurses, who used a new life-saving technology to aid his recovery.
Alberto Perez had an incredible feeling of victory when he was released from Holy Cross Hospital. After a month-long battle fighting COVID-19, he had finally won.
“I felt all the love, and I was very happy and overwhelmed,” Perez said. “It all started off with a little scratchy throat and a slight little cough.”
The COVID-19 symptoms arrived in mid-March. What was first a cough and sore throat turned into a high fever and sweats before he started having trouble breathing.
“I just couldn’t breathe,” Perez said.
The 39-year-old’s symptoms had worsened. He recalls feeling paralyzed and soon realized he needed to go to the hospital.
“If I stay here and don’t go to the hospital, I won’t get to the next day,” Perez said. “It was that bad.”
Within 24 hours after being admitted to Holy Cross, he was in the intensive care unit and was intubated soon after.
“Oxygen requirements for the rest of his body were not being met by his lungs and the mechanical ventilator, even when maxed out,” Dr. John Melvan, a cardiothoracic surgeon, said.
Doctors were concerned about Perez’s oxygen level and realized he could be a candidate for ECMO therapy, a state of the art machine doctors received the day the 39-year-old was admitted.
“Without this technology, I don’t think Mr. Perez would be here today,” Melvan said. “As sick as he was, to be able to tolerate all the various medical therapies for all the other organ systems that hold on while we let his lungs recover, for him to walk out of the hospital, that really takes a lot of effort and a lot of good teamwork.”
Within a few weeks, with the help of ECMO, a ventilator and other treatment and care by hospital staff, Perez was able to beat COVID-19.
It is a miraculous recovery with a special send off that provides some hope to those battling the virus.
“Don’t give up; have faith,” Perez said.
Perez plans to donate his plasma when he can to help other patients in their fight against COVID-19.
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